Powder

Hi all... can I ask what is probably a silly question???
I just wanted to know is it ok to use powder on my lillte girls bottom when changing her and after bath?? I am worried that it might get into her little girlie bits and might not be good for her..... Every one I know with a baby has had a boy and my Mum while trying to be helpful says she used powder with us girls... my Mum doesnt really have to much faith in the modern medical or child rearing ideas....
Thanks
Jen

Jen, I must admit, I have never used on Olivia. I cannot for the life of me remember where I read this, but it stuck in my head, and that is that it can cause ovarian issues later on in life, and that it can cause "labia fushion" in little baby girls.

I am not sure if that is accurate or not, but as I said, it stuck in my head, so I used a nice smelling nappy cream instead.......

I've heard that there were links between certain powders and cervical cancer, and the "labia fushion" thing too. I never used it with Matilda, I found some natural products that were labeled "safe" to use & I think I only used it once.

Matilda had "labia fushion" for the first 6 months and I did have a MCHN ask me if I used power on her as a newborn...

yup we were told during our parent classes not to use it because it has been linked to cervical cancer.

I have never used powder on either of my girls either...
I had heard about links to cancer & inhaling!!!

Eeeks we used curash powder for nappy rash... was that a bad thing????

*hugs*
Cailin

I *think* the curash one is actually a different powder... there's a thread about this somewhere I'll have a dig.

The curash uses zinc oxide as its active ingredient instead of being talc based. No idea if this makes a differance.

wow, i had no idea!

Thanks heaps everyone!!!!
I was a bit worried about getting it into her girlie bits so I wont be using it near her bottom. But think I might still use some powder when she is dry in her rolls and stuff.
And can I ask another really silly question cos it sounds really obvious.. but what exactly is 'labia fusion'?

I think it's where the labia joins together rather that being seperate??

If you want to use an all natual powder I think you can just use ordinary cornflour.

Thats right Bec, sometimes it rights itself and sometimes if it is still joined in a few years they actually want to do surgery.... but 90% of the time it apparently goes back to normal. I paniced when the MCHN told me Matilda's labia was fused & went & saw a paediatrician straight away who told me not to worry but everytime I go to the doctor to have them check & see when it corrects itself... 6 months and she was fine.

i use jonsons baby powder with curash stuff in it, and put on lachlans bum almost everytime i change his bum and every time i bath him.

This is a Choice article on talc (hope I'm allowed to post this):

Is talc dangerous for babies?

Using talcum powder on babies seems to be falling from favour, with many experts recommending you use creams for nappy rash.
Online 01/04

What is talc?
Talc (hydrous magnesium silicate) is a soft greenish grey mineral found throughout the world. It’s crushed, dried and milled to create talcum powder.

In its raw form, talc is often contaminated with asbestos (a known carcinogen) and crystalline silica. In theory, contaminants are removed during the purification process but in reality some of these dangerous substances remain. Talc particles have the potential to enter and lodge themselves in the body -- reports focus on lungs and ovaries -- and cause tumours, lesions and other damage.

Accidental inhalation
Another safety issue relates to accidental inhalation of the powder: it’s said to dry out the lining of the lungs and can obstruct small airways, resulting in respiratory distress or even death.
Accidental inhalation of talc is a fairly common reason for people phoning a poisons information centre. A typical scenario involves an infant grabbing the talc container while having their nappy changed, and shaking the powder around before parents can stop them. Symptoms are flu-like (cough, fever, runny nose) and start about four to six hours after inhalation; hospitalisation may be required. Babies have died from the effects.

Talc and ovarian cancer
Recent studies have suggested a link between use of talc and ovarian cancer, with the risk of ovarian cancer up to double among those using talc (the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer for Australian women is approximately 1%). But other studies have found no increase in risk and say there’s no link.

Research supporting the talc-ovarian cancer link found that using talc on any part of the body elevates ovarian cancer risk, as does using it on sanitary products and underwear. So using it around baby’s bottom area probably isn’t a great idea.

It’s not clear why cancers form, although talc shares chemical similarities to asbestos (and before the mid-seventies, when many of us were babies, may even have contained asbestos). So if talc does cause cancers, they may be related to those resulting from asbestos exposure.

The verdict
Despite a lack of definitive evidence, it would seem prudent to avoid using talcum powder if there’s an alternative (such as a cream), especially on girls. If you use it, be careful — try to minimise airborne particles and keep the container out of your baby’s reach. A cornstarch-based powder may be suitable, but it’s still a risk if inhaled.

Wow - I never knew that. My DD has just decided she loves powder so I had started using it in the last couple of days.

I don't understand if it has potential to cause problems why Johnson & Johnson, Curash and the likes still make baby powder.

Somebody once told me it's no good for you, but I've no idea at all whether there is any truth to that or not.

However, I did want to say, we started using powder on Lucy when she was born, but it just got all gluggy once she wet herself, so now we use Jurlique barrier cream only and her nappy area is always smooth and redness-free.

I have also heard it is not very good for bubs and have never used it.

Hello, Using cornflour is ok, it's actually dermatologically soothing and it soaks up moistness as well. You can get cornflour powder at the chemist right next to the baby powder.

Having said that, we never used it, preferring instead to use Amolin cream, which has a great combination of zinc, calamine, almond oil and petroleum jelly. Works well to soothe and also acts like a barrier cream. We have used it since then for any dry rashy skin things and it works well for that as well. We never had any nappy rash problems, even during teething. Hope this helps
:-)